...just to add, reviewing the ones that you've already listed...I like Teasing Georgia for spectacular display.... I used to have it here, but to be honest, it became quite large, thorny and a bit too much for me... but you might be different on that....

I would go with Reve d'Or. I did not find it a slow grower. It will cover a wall or an arbor but does not 'eat' a house. And it's bullet proof for blackspot or mildew.

Not sure about in your zone, but for some reassurance, there are two different varieties of Lady H. The bush is considered to be slower growing an to have less vigor, while the climber is supposed to have a lot of vigor.

Olga is the resident Lady H expert, and she grows hers in Zone 6b.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1639232/my-favorite-lady

I planted mine last may and it has shot up a couple of feet already, but I am in 9b in Texas.

unfortunately her pics don't show up now....

but they do if you google Olga lady Hillingdon and go to the images.

https://www.google.com/search?q=olga+lady+hillingdon&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=USHeVMivOsmpNsPwgpAI&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1440&bih=797#imgdii=_&imgrc=GWNaC525qwt02M%253A%3Blibd9cnwFvOV0M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fi135.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fq157%252FHartwoodHoney%252FRose%252520Gallery%252FMaryland%252520Rose%252520Gathering%252FIMG_0517.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fforums2.gardenweb.com%252Fforums%252Fload%252Frosesant%252Fmsg0522240929322.html%3B640%3B480

I second buford for reve d'or because of its beauty and lack of vicious thorniness. For me it was also not a slow grower, in spite of my poor soil. It's easy to control and user friendly. I love the shaded color of the blooms that sometimes are partly pink although the overall effect is apricot. If it's hardy in your zone I would recommend it.

Thank you everyone for your replies!

Marlorena, both of those varieties are gorgeous and I haven't really heard of either, I will have to look them up, I Iove the looks of both of those photos!

After just googling "climbing Lady Hillingdon" and looking at the photos and reading through peoples' overall experience with her, I found myself swooning over this rose, and remembering why I decided to order it in the first place. Olga's photos were certainly a part of that, her specimen is just the epitome of what a romantic garden rose should look like, just absolutely stunning! So now I just HAVE to give her a go.

If she doesn't work out for me, then I will probably use either Reve d'Or or Teasing Georgia in that spot. Reve is classically gorgeous & sounds healthy and easy to train, but I do love the huge, lush blooms of TG , even though she is more of a struggle to work with, she seems very vigorous. I was thinking of using Reve in a spot along a (future) fence that is on a sidewalk (soon to be built by the city) that will have pretty heavy pedestrian traffic, so the thornlessness sounds like it might be helpful there.

I am still worried about how Cl Lady Hillingdon will fare with Tennessee's notorious late season cold snaps, but hopefully I will be skilled enough in protecting her roots/canes for her to be able to get established. She is coming from Roses Unlimited, and all I ever hear is that their plants are some of the largest 1 gal. roses purchasable from the main few internet nurseries.

We are coincidentally supposed to have a record setting low temperature tonight of -7, which seems like a game changer, as I thought I was zone 7a, but maybe I'm more like a 6b? It is a little confusing for me to figure out my little "micro climate" in particular because I live so close to the city, I feel like it is always a few degrees warmer here than it is, say at my dad's house just a couple of miles north of here & more in the country. I really should get an outdoor thermometer for my front porch, since that is where all my young potted roses are residing this winter, then I could compare the forecasted temperatures with my own and see what I come up with.

Thanks again all!

I'll post some photos later in the spring/summer!

Jessica

Everywhere I have seen a mature Reve d Or it's been a beauty. Also I've never seen leaf diseases on this rose.